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Pistachio Crusted Moroccan Lamb

For a quick midweek meal, it’s great to have a few spice mix ideas on hand to pair with different meats. And when it comes to spicing up lamb you can’t go past Moroccan style. Whether you’re aiming for the full glory of a ras-el-hanout mix, or just the simple combination of cumin and coriander I use here, your lamb will never be boring again. The novel addition of a honey pistachio crust adds a little sweetness and crunch to keep you interested!

Don’t fret over the crust, there’s no need to aim for a perfect coating as you can see above! Just use a little of honey and a bit of cajoling to get some crunch on top of each cutlet. It only takes a minute and makes a huge difference.

Pistachio Crusted Moroccan Lamb

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 6 mins

Total time: 11 mins

Serves: 2-3

The basis of a quick mid-week meal, anything but boring!

Ingredients

6 lamb cutlets

3 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon honey

40g pistachios, toasted and well crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

pinch of salt

Instructions

Place the cutlets in a mixing bowl and coat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the coriander, cumin and salt then stir well to coat the meat with the spices.

Warm the remaining tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the cutlets and cook to your preference (I prefer medium rare which takes 2-3 minutes per side for thicker cutlets).

Remove the lamb from the heat to rest. While it is still quite hot lightly brush the top of each cutlet with honey and scatter over a layer of pistachio. Press down lightly so the pistachio stays put (it only needs to stick enough to not fall everywhere as you eat).

Serve with couscous and a green salad.

Notes

The flavour of spices can vary a lot based on how fresh they are. If you have the time to toast and freshly grind your own coriander and cumin seed you won’t need to use as much and you’ll have even better flavour. But for a mid-week meal I figure most of us reach for pre-ground spices!